This reminds me I need to buy approximately 3 8 speed chains.
On my MTB I’ve broken every chain except Wipperman.
You used a record 11 speed chain on your mtb? Do you have xx1?
Sram chains are fucking loud. KMC for life.
I use KMC on my campy bike cause cheap and good enough. I use a DA chain on my shimano bike because it’s the best chain there is.
DQ: Are these gauges worth trusting? Better to just stick to the ruler?
Found this in the toolbox last night:
They work okay unless they’ve been abused and the pins bent. We used them at the shop and one bench had one that would show almost 75% wear on a new chain because some asshole cranked on it. Just try it on a new chain and if it’s tight like it barely wants to fit then it should be fine.
I don’t like that one bc it makes it easy to fudge the measurement. I want one of the new shimano ones. Park tool simple one is my fav but we wear thru them At the shop pretty quick. I haven’t tried the new longer one. I’m trying to use the ruler method more often since I have eh time in winter.
As far as I know, the only tool that technically measures chains correctly (measuring pin wear, rather than pin and roller wear) is the Shimano TL-CN41.
However, a reasonably cared for Park CC-2 works just fine for the purposes of selling new chains. Meaning that, if the chain looks like crap and measures at or around 75%, tell them that they need a new chain. I also find it’s a lot easier to explain chain replacement to customers using the Park tool than with any other.
gauges that spread the chain themselves are garbage, because they touch the opposite sides of the rollers they add double the roller slop to the measurement
they pretty much just read BESURETOREPLACEYOURCHAIN
it used to be really hard to find a tool that wasn’t worse than a ruler, but now this exists: http://www.parktool.com/product/chain-wear-indicator-CC-3-2
I think they understand the concept of “go/no go” gauge and that it means “mechanic not lying” more or less.
Do y’all push new cassette with a chain at .75 on the park gauge? I know most of our mechs do. One only recommends replacing when it starts to skip but he personally likes to get every bit out of parts it seems.
I’ve worked at a few shops that do, but that’s total bullshit and I never do it personally. I had a job briefly before my current shop, and the service manager there got mad whenever I sold a chain and NOT a cassette, even if the chain was just nominally worn. Hard to explain to a customer that they need a new cassette, when you just spent ten minutes telling them that changing their chain will prevent their cassette wearing out. I saw this backfire on him more than once when customers were like “Well, if they’re both worn, I’ll just keep using it until it breaks.” Obviously this is smart of the customer (mostly commuters who don’t really give two shits about performance), given their limited knowledge, but this is in fact a disservice to everyone… Same guys who used galvanized steel cables on EVERYTHING and thought it was excessive when I asked to stock Campagnolo cables and housing, so I didn’t have to file down shit Sunlite brand ones to use on people’s 11-speed Colnagos. Idiots.
Now keep in mind I seldom see slightly worn chains. Ive always had a hard time understanding the fine line between new chain time and new chain and cassette time. On my personal bike, I’ve had new chain old cassette work fine 50% and work like shit the other 50%.
.75 on the park gauge for quick and dirty chain check but what is the better indicator of cassette wear? We have one of the stupid rohloff cassette wear indicators but I only think its stupid bc I don’t know how to use it and the guy who did left.
when writing the bike in we used to just tell the customer the bike may need a new cassette if our little chain gauge was showing decent wear (that swinging park one wasn’t too bad, but you have to clean it and keep the bolt tight and bunch of bullshit that mostly works well for giving the customer a number so you don’t look like you’re a lying cheating bastard)
I’d write the estimate for replacement of chain and cassette, and tell the customer that we’ll replace the chain first, and if it’s shifting fine and not skipping under load we won’t replace the cassette. But there was no way for us to measure wear of the cassette beyond putting a new chain on it and seeing if it worked.
usually worked out.
Interesting. Sounds like I could swoop in as the hero in a lot of tune ups then. You saved $40 bucks! Why don’t you spend that on dog earz http://www.calhouncycle.com/productcart/pc/Dog-Earz-p364.htm
An actual product. That we stock.
That threw me for a loop when you linked to a shop a few miles from me. A tiny commuter shop no less.
All I can say is a new chain on a worn cassette sucks ass. Skipping is the most goddamned annoying thing in the world short of the chain breaking and by the time you get a new cassette, the chain might be done.
My experience has been a cassette can still be far from shot just because a new chain skips. 500+ miles later they’ll work fine together. unless the cassette really is shot
Yeah, this was a case of neglect that had gone on for far too long. Chain was done, cassette was done, and even the chainrings were done. At the time I was riding a couple hundred miles a week and didn’t give any fucks. I replace chains a lot more often these days.
My cassette checker is the 10-13% grade immediately outside my place. If my new chain + old cassette honks up the hill without skipping, all is well.
edit: also, I 'm currently in the middle of riding a cassette, chain and sharkfinned ring into dust on my main commuting bike. Yknow, it shifts ok with friction. I might wait to replace everything when it’s spring.